Water conservation key as dry weather continues

Water restrictions will shortly come into place for properties adjacent to Champion Road. As of Monday 27 January 2020, Tasman District Council has moved to impose Stage One water restrictions to the Waimea Plains and Phase A water restrictions to the Richmond water supply scheme.

These restrictions also apply to those areas of Nelson City that are supplied with water from the Tasman District Council.

Phase A water restrictions for residential properties mean that:

YOU CAN...
•    Do outdoor washing (cars, windows, outdoor areas) with a hand held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle, water blaster or bucket.
•    Water your flowers/trees/planters with a hand held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle, watering systems on a timer or a bucket. Watering listed protected trees is allowed using these methods.
•    Water your veggie garden and fruit trees with a hand held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle, watering systems on a timer or a bucket.
•    Top up a pool, spa or water feature.
•    Use water for play.

YOU CAN’T...
•    Water the lawn.
•    Fill a pool, spa or water feature but you can top one up if needed.

These restrictions apply to all residential properties adjacent to Champion Road as follows:
•    Childs Way
•    Boysenberry Way
•    Champion Road
•    Daelyn Drive
•    Fullford Drive
•    Hill Street North
•    Iti Lane
•    John Sutton Place
•    Joyce Place
•    Kakano Lane
•    Kapurangi Avenue
•    Kingi Place
•    Mako Street
•    Marino Grove
•    Marionberry Lane
•    Ngati Rarua Street
•    Taranaki Place

You can find out what the restrictions mean for businesses and institutions here.

Nelson City Council has a little more capacity before restrictions will be needed for the wider city, but at the current rate of water use and without any significant rainfall our own Stage One water restrictions could be introduced in Nelson within the next couple of weeks.

As it is predicted to continue to be a hot, dry summer, it’s never too early to conserve water and Council asks everyone to play their part and use water wisely.

Here are some useful water conservation tips:

In the garden
•    Hand watering is the most efficient use of water.
•    Water the garden only on calm days, during the evening or early morning to minimise evaporation.
•    A wisely used timer or irrigation system can save water.
•    A dripper pipe system is an efficient watering method. Moveable sprinkler systems are the least efficient method.
•    Cover soil around plants with mulch, straw or grass clippings. This helps the soil retain moisture while discouraging weeds, which compete for water.
•    Save 'grey water' for garden use.
•    Don't hose down or 'water-blast' the yard or paths.

Don't be a drip 
•    A hose left running can waste up to 40 litres per minute - that's 2,400 litres an hour.
•    A dripping tap can waste over 20 litres per day.

In the house 
•    Install water saving shower heads (less than 10 litres per minute) or flow restrictors.
•    Keep bath levels to a minimum.
•    Wait until you have a full load before using your dishwasher.
•    Wait until you have a full load before using your washing machine or use the half load switch. You'll save as much as 125 litres per full wash.
•    When buying a new washing machine, consider a front loading type. They use less water, power and soap powder. You'll save around 50 litres per wash.
•    Insulate the hot water pipes, starting from the hot water tank and moving towards the taps.
•    Don't use the loo as a waste bin.
•    Turn off the tap once you have collected enough for the task, either in a bowl or in a sink with the plug fitted.

Flush facts
It's easy to reduce the amount of water used to flush the toilet: 
•    Put a brick or a two-litre bottle of water in the toilet cistern.
•    Install a flush saving device.
•    Install a dual flush cistern when buying a new toilet or cistern. A dual system uses between three and six litres per flush.

In the yard 
•    Cover your swimming pool - you'll stop the water evaporating.
•    Use a bucket and brush when you wash the car and the house windows.
•    Collecting rainwater on-site for use in the garden or in the toilet system is a way to reduce the volume of water you require from the city supply. For details, see our video guide to installing a rainwater tank.

Advice updates will be posted on Nelson City Council’s Facebook page.

ENDS